Packaging or crating structure



April 16 1940- H. c. WAY 2,197,598

PACKAGING on CRATIM STRUCTURE Filed July l5, 193B Patented Apr. 16, 1940 UNITEDv STATES PATENT loFFicE 3 Claims.` (Cl. 20G-60) This invention relates to packaging or crating4 structures, capable of general use but particularly-intended for the packaging or cratng of' sheet materials, such astin plate; and hasparticular reference to improvements in packaging or crating structures of the general type described and claimed in my prior Patent No. 1,910,783, dated May 23,1933.

Generally speaking, the object of the present invention is to providea packagingor crating structure of the general type referred to` which is highly efcient in use and which, at the same time, is quite simple` and of exceptionally low cost.

With the foregoing general object and various other special objects in View, which willbecome more fully apparent as the nature of the invention is betterunderstood, the same consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and dened in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in related views:

Figure l is a perspective View of a package or crate formed in accordance with one practical embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a detail side elevation of one lower corner portion of the package illustrated in Figure 1. l

Figure 3 is a detail end elevation of one lower corner portion of the package illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a detail horizontal vsection through one corner portion of the package illustrated' in Figure l; I

Figure 5 `is a detail perspective view of one upper corner portion of a package in accordance i with an alternative embodiment of the* invention; and y i 1 I Figure 6 is a detail section through the top portion of the corner. elementillustrated in Figure 5.

Referring to the drawing in detail, rst with particular reference tothe embodiment of the` tion, the iii-st step is to stack onione of the base or platform elements HL'to any desired height,

the articles,- such as a number of tin plate sheets II, to comprise the package. A stiff top element I2 of wood or any other Isuitable material and of the same length and width as the element Ill,

then is placed upon the top oi the stack of ar- '5 ticles II, andeither prior or subsequent tothe placing ofthe top element I2, sheets I3 ofcard- 'board or other suitable material for the p-rotection of the edges of the sheets I i preferably, but not necessarily, are placed against the sides and the ends ofthe partly formed package. Four duplicate angle-iron `members i4 which may be formed from scrap, imperfectv or damaged tin plate, or from any other suitable stiii` material and which are of pre-formed lengths corresponding substantially to the predetermined height of the package, then are placed yvertically against the four corners, respectively, of th-e partly formed package in embracing relationship to the corners of the platform and top lelements Il! and I2 and, ofcourse, in embracing relationship to the corners of the stacked tin plate sheets or other articles disposed between said platform and top elements Ill and I2, theflanges of said angleiron members I4 overlying the marginal end portions of the protective sheets I3, if such sheets are employed, so that in the finished package the said angle-iron members I2` serve to hold said sheets I3 operatively in the package assembly. Next, duplicate corner members I5 are placed at the eightcorners of the package and by means of a pair of tie wires IB which are passed across said corner elements I5l and diagonally across the sides'and ends of the package, the whole assembly is rigidly bound together in a unitary structure so'that any possibility of the tin plate sheets II shifting relative to one another is effectively prevented.'A y

v The corner. elements l5 may `be 'formed from scrap, imperfect or damaged tin plate or from any other suitablestiff, sheet material and each comprises a short-length` strip of material of suitable width having its .end portions l?, Il bent in the same direction from the medial horizontal portion I8 thereof along lines diagonal with 4 i respect to the strip and with respect to each other so that said end portions'lie in planes at right angles to each other and also at right angles to the plane of said-medial portion IS. The Obliquity of theend portions Il, Il' relativefto the medial 5G.

connection the `obliquityvof theend portions oi 55,.

ment I2 and engage flatly with the upper face thereof; one end portion I1 of each of said corner elements lies flatly against the relatedside face! of the package; the other end portion II of each of said corner elements lies flatly against the related end face of the package',xand each'en'd' portion I1 extends diagonally toward, the opposite corner of the related face of the package( Each end portion I"I of eachof the corner elements I5 has a rib' I9 pressed outwardly therefrom to provide an inwardly opening channel,

and,as shown, said ribs and channels extend transversely of said endportions Il, I-T, prefer.- ablyI in divergent relat ionship,rV inwardly, with respectto the plane of the medial portion I8. Moreover, each rib I9 is slotted intermediate `its ends, as indicated at 20. f

Cooperating with each corner element I5 vis an L-shaped rod or* stiff wire binding element 2I, thearms 22 of which embrace the related angleiron member M andare disposed in the aforesaid channels of the corner element end portions I1, I1, respectively, and have outwardly directed U-shaped formations y23 extending through the slots 20. 'y

AStarting at one side'or en d of the package, one of the tie wires I6 extends through the U-shaped formation 23 of one of the arms 22 of one of the binding elements 2|,- `then across the bottom or thetop face, as the case may be, of the medial portion I8 of the related corner element I5, then through the U-shaped formation of the other arm 22 of the same-binding element 2l, then diagonally across the related side, or end, face of the package, asthe c'ase'may be, to the corner element I5 at thediagonally opposite corner of the package, then through the nearer U-shaped formations 23 of the blinding element 2I of the latter corner element, then across the top or the bottomV face,r as the case may be, of the medial portion I8 of said last. mentioned corner element I5, therethrough the other U-shaped formation 23 of the lastmentioned binding element 2 I, then diagonally across the related side, or end, face of the' package, as the case may be, to the cornerelement I5 at, the diagonallyv opposite corner of the latter side, or end, face ofthe package where itis cooperatively engaged with vsaid latter corner element and the U-shaped formations 23 of its related binding element 2l as set forth inconnection with the two corner elements rst mentioned, then diagonally across the related side, or end, face ofthe package, as the case may be, tothe corner element I5 at the diagonally opposite corner of the latter v face of the package where it is cooperatively engaged with the last mentionedcorner element I5 and its related binding element 2I as set forth 'in connection with the other corner elements,

latter corners of the package, in the same manner as the first mentioned tie wire extends with respect 'to its related corners of the package and f their associated corner elements I5 and binding elements `2I. Thus, the other four diagonally vopposite corners of vthe package are bound to- ,y gether in the same manner as the four corners first mentioned, and since the two tie wires serve, at Aall corners of the package, to urge the angleiron elements I4 inwardly and the platform and top elements IIJ and ,I2 upwardly and downwardly, respectively,r the package r is securely trussed against any possibility of the sheets or other articles II-shifting relative to each other and with said sheets or other articles effectively protected by the platform and top elements Il) and I2, respectively, the angle-iron corner elements I 4 and the facing sheets I3 if they latter are used.

If the package is of considerable. "length, or width, one orV more tie'wires 25 may be extended around the package intermediate its ends,or sides, to assist in holding the medial portion of the package tightly trussed. If a tie wire, 'or wires 25 is, or are, employed, smallabrasion plates 26 may be employed beneath said wire where it. extends'a'cross the corners of the package to prevent the wire from sinking into the platform and top elements IU and I12, respectively. In this connection it is apparent that the corner elements I5 serve thesame purpose respecting the tie wires I6.

Preferably, the platform element I is provided at its underside with two or more battens or cross members 2l toA reinforce said platform element and, in particular, to 'serve vas runners to support said platform element above a oor or the like to facilitatetyingof the package'and either sliding of the same from one position to another or engagement of a hand truck or the like therewith for its"transportatio`n from one position to another. l

If the members 2I`are employed, and if they are located near the ends, or sides, of the platform element Ill, they may be slotted adjacent to their ends, as'indicated at 28, to accommodate the portions` I8 of the corner elements l5.

Instead of employing corner elements I of the type illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, cornerelements of the type illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 and designated as IEE, may be used in a structure overwise the same as illustrated in Figures 1 to 4. The corner elements I5a may be formed` from scrap, imperfect or damaged tin plate or from any other suitable stiff, sheet material and each comprises, as illustrated in Figure 5, twol right angularly related portions each of which is of L-shaped cross section and comprises a vertical wall 29 and a horizontal wall 30. 'I'he horizontal walls 30 are slit to provide, at the adjacent ends of said walls, tongues 3| which are suitably formed l into eyes 32 projecting outwardly from said walls and which have their free ends directed forwardly and suitably curved so that a related tie wire I6 may be engaged in said eyes simply by urging the tie wire rearwardly beneath the free end portions of said tongues as indicated in Fig. 6 of the drawing. The eyes 32, formed as shown and described, serve to retain the tie Wire in assembly with the corner element I5a during initial assembly of the packaging structure. After the tie wire has been tightened and fastened, the eyes 32 may, if desired, be crimped upon the tie wire to secure it against shifting relative to the corner element. Moreover, the eyes 32 may be longitudinally curved as indicated in Fig. 5 so as to avoid cutting by their edges of the tie Wire. When the tie wires are tightened the corner elements lEa are, of course, drawn in the same manner as the corner elements I5 to cause the package to possess the desired attributes of firmness and rigidity. Manifestly, metal bands or other equivalents of the tie wires I6 may be employed in lieu of said wires with either of the two different types of corner elements illustrated or with equivalents of said corner elements.

Without further description it is thought that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and it will of course be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A packaged rectangular assemblage of articles comprising a stiff rectangular platform element underlying the articles, a stiff rectangular top element overlying the articles, said platform and top elements being of substantially the same length and width as the article assemblage, vertical elements of stii sheet material and of L-shaped cross section embracing the vertical corners of the article assemblage and the corners of the platform and top elements, bottom corner elements having bottom portions underlying the corners of the platform element and side portions embracing lower portions of the side faces of the vertical corner elements, top corner elements having top portions overlying the corners of the top element and side portions embracing upper portions of the side faces of the vertical corner elements, an L-shaped element detachably interconnected with the side portions of each corner element and embracing the related vertical element, and tie elements extending over diagonally opposite of said corner elements and acting through the latter to draw the platform and top elements upwardly and downwardly, respectively, and the vertical kcorner elements inwardlyto securely truss the article assemblage, said tie elements cooperating with said L-shaped elements to draw the latter against said vertical elements.

2. In a packaged assemblage of articles as set forth in claim 1, ribs pressed outwardly from the side portions of the corner elements to provide channels, each rib having a slot, the L-shaped elements having their end portions disposed in said channels, and U-shaped formations in the end portions of said L-shaped elements extending through said slots, the tie elements extending through said U-shaped formations.

3. In a packaged assemblage of articles as set forth in claim 1, ribs pressed outwardly from the side portions of the corner elements to provide channels, each rib having a slot, the L-shapedelements having their end portions disposed in said channels, and formations in the end portions of said L-shaped elements extending through said slots and embracing the tie wires, thereby holding the latter operatively positioned.

HARRY C. WAY. 

